This invention pertains to an apparatus that is intended to deal with waste energy heat loss that is typical with the use of ordinary household clothing dryers. A typical household clothing dryer heats air within a rotating compartment or drum, where moisture-laden clothing or similar materials are allowed to contact heated air that has been heated within the dryer. Since the heated air has an increased moisture carrying capacity, as compared to cooler air, moisture from the clothing will evaporate out of the clothing and be carried along within the heated air flow. The heated air is typically vented directly from a back side vent through a dryer vent hose, where the moisture-laden air is discharged through a port in the building wall that allows the air to be vented directly into the outside air.
During conditions where the outside air is extremely cold, wasted heat energy while using the clothing dryer is even more pronounced. This is due to the fact that heated air is discharged outside the dwelling, causing the energy to be lost from the dwelling, but the dryer must also concurrently draw in air from inside the dwelling, to replace the vented heated air. When air is drawn into the dryer, and then eventually vented outside the dwelling, the air which is vented outside must be replaced by air from within the dwelling. As air is removed from the dwelling into the dryer unit, external air must replace said dwelling air. If the replacement air comprises outside cold air, as would typically be the case, the clothing dryer is not only wasting heat energy it produces by venting it outside, but it is also removing warm air from within the dwelling.
Prior art has attempted to overcome the heat loss associated with clothing dryers. U.S. Pat. No. 5,806,207 (Merrigan) is a recent example. This device provides a cabinet for the collecting of air that has been heated by the dryer. A single vent is used as a means to direct the air heated by the dryer back into the house or dwelling. A second outlet is provided as a means to divert the heated air outside the dwelling.
One of the drawbacks with the prior art is that no means is provided to capture lint and other associated fabric particles that are generally present in air being discharged from clothing dryers. While most dryers have some type of a lint capturing device, such devices are generally not completely efficient. Utilization of the prior art, without the inclusion of the advantages shown in this invention, can result in a returned of heated air back into the dwelling, along with a great deal of undesired lint and dust particles.
Another drawback with the prior art is that there is no means to specifically direct the flow of air heated by the dryer to either the dwelling interior or to the outside. Prior art relies on an increased air pressure, coupled with various vent openings supplied, to direct the air out from a single volume staging area within a cabinet. Unless the discharge vent that directs air into the house or dwelling is completely airtight, heated air will return back into dwelling even at undesired times. Because dryers may have the tendency to over heat if their discharge air pathway is restricted, there should be provided an unobstructed passage to both vent the heated air back into the dwelling as well as a vent to discharge heated air directly outside dwelling.
A further drawback to the prior art is that the cabinet used in the Merrigan patent will acquire significant heat energy, which will then be able to be transferred to the adjacent air within the dwelling. While this may be a desired benefit during cold weather, this heat transfer is undesirable during hot summer months when the owner may be attempting to cool the dwelling interior air through air conditioning.